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Tuesday, January 25, 2011

My Valentine's Mantel and... Heart-shaped Stockings??

(2012 Mantel)

(2011 Mantel)

Aloha!

First, I have to apologize for the lighting even in these "good" pics that I took. This room actually gets bombarded with light from three different windows AND a skylight AND the previous owners decided to "brighten up the room" with yellow walls. Ack!! I couldn't get a pic without hard light for the life of me. Doesn't help that I only use an iPhone for all my pics, but oh well.

So I've wanted to play at one of Beth's (The Stories from A2Z) "mantel parties" for a long time, but my mantel is SO pitiful that I always chicken out at the last minute. Don't even ask me what the builders were thinking when they designed the randomness that is my Hawaiian fireplace and sad mantel...

Anyway, this time I decided to just go ahead and do it, and as I was thinking of things to put on it, I kept thinking about all these stockings I bought on Christmas clearance a couple weeks ago. I scored everything pictured for less than $9! (My first 90% off clearance.)

The stockings were only $.19 each, and I had originally thought I might make a pillow or 17 out of them for V-day. But with thoughts of mantels floating through my head, I kept having ideas of Valentine's "stockings" where we can leave treats and notes for our girls and each other on Vanentine's morning. We've done mailboxes from Target's dollar bin before as well as buckets (also from Target's dollar bin), but I thought this would be a fun way to change things up and let me hide some of my ugly mantel. ;)

The girls have the sequined ones, and each one has a different flower or set of flowers, so we can tell them apart.

I spared my husband the humiliation of the sequined ones and the flowers. ;)

Step 1) Fold the foot of the stocking in. This is going to be one side of your heart. How nice that they've already done 1/2 of your sewing!

Step 2) Cut around it, leaving room for a seam allowance.

Unfolded, it will look like this:

How convenient is that?!

Step 3) Turn it inside out, so you can sew around the opposite, unsewn edge.

Step 4) Be sure to leave an opening at the top to insert goodies. You will need to unpick some of the original stitching, so I also back-stiched some on the opposite end of my opening to keep it from coming unstitched (the side that was already sewn).

((so sorry I didn't take a pic of this step))

Step 5) Place a small "hanger" on the back of the stocking, depending on how you want them to hang. I wanted ours to be facing straight. At an angle would also be cute. :) I also turned in those unfinished edges and hot glued them down. And, of course, embellished with flowers made from the left-over felt and flowers on the original stockings.

Cute! I haven't decorated for Valentine's Day ever, but am inspired with all the blogging about it. We'll see.

On a side note, I've always wondered why there are fireplaces at all here in Hawaii. Our landlords open all the windows and fire up the fireplace for their Christmas Party every year. Even with a slight chill in the air, that fire gets HOT! ~Barbara

This is cute! And I love that you repurposed!You should come link this up to my weekly Thursday through Sunday Making It With Allie Link Party! I think it would make a Fabulous addition!AllieMakes.Blogspot.com

I LOVE your comments! They're the reason I blog. If you've used one of my tutorials or found them helpful, I'd also love to see pics! You can post them on my FB page or send an email: attemptingaloha @ gmail . com